Slide propulsion means



Oct. 24, 1967 v R. A. BOICE 3,348,421

SLIDE PROPULS ION MEANS Filed Oct. 4, 1965 INVENTOR, RALPH A. BOICE, BY

ATTORNEY,

Uniwd tes Patent" 3,348,421 SLIDE PROPULSION MEANS Ralph A. Boice, Livingston, N.Y., assignor to Boice Filed Oct. 4, 1965, Ser. No. 492,815 7 Claims. (Cl. 74--202) The present invention relates to a slide on a track and more particularly to means for moving the slide in either direction selectively, along the track. A height gage is chosen to illustrate one use of this invention.

The principal object of this invention is to provide novel and improved constructions of means to propel a slide along its track, The track may be in any position and the slide is shiftable to any location on the track, without slippage or play. Movement of the slide is precise and sure, thus making this invention especially desirable in gage apparatus, though it is generally useful wherever a slide is to be moved along its track, as for instance, in adjustable stands. This invention is particularly adaptable where slide adjustment need be frequently made.

Another object thereof is to provide novel and improved adjustable slide constructions of the character described, which are simple in structure, reasonable in cost to manufacture, easy to use and efiicient in carrying out the purposes for which they are designed.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this disclosure proceeds.

For one practice of this invention, a slide is carried on a straight track which has a channel therealong. A-n axle perpendicular to the track and floating within a hollow in the slide, has a wheel fixed thereon which extends into the channel and is wedged tightly therein against the opposite walls of said channel; said axle being forced by springs which push it laterally towards said channel, so the pressure of the wheel against the track is appreciable. The axle has an accessible knob or crank handle to turn it, whereupon the slide will move along the track when the latter is stationary, or the track will move if the slide is fixed. During such movement, the wheel is in contact with only one line along each of the opposite walls of the channel.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a height gage embodying the teachings of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a section taken at line 22 in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3-6 are top plan views of different upright track structures, each shown with its associated wheel, embodying this invention.

In the drawing, a height gage 15 is chosen to illustrate this invention. This structure comprises a base 16 from which upwardly extends two tangent or slightly separated identical round rods 17, 17', which engage a slide denoted generally by the numeral 18, for movement therealong, with a set screw 19 to fix its position thereon. The slide in the embodiment shown carries a conventional universal joint structure indicated generally as 20, for mounting the rod 21 carrying an indicator 22. An axle 23 having an exterior knob 24 floats within a hollow 25 in the slide body. Said axle has a wheel indicated generally as 26 fixed thereon, which extends into the channel 27 formed by said rods 17, 17, and its beveled'periphery 26' is wedged therein forcibly by action of relatively 3,348,421 Patented Oct. 24, 1967 strong compression springs 23' between which said wheel is equi-spaced, which push said axle 23 laterally towards said channel 27. It is evident that each bevel on the wheel 26 will be tangent to one of the peripheral surfaces of said track rods respectively, and so, as the wheel is turned, the slide will move along the track and the wheel will contact each of said surfaces which are the opposite walls 'of the channel 27, along a straight line therealong respectively. Of importance, is that there will be no slippage or play.

The track structure for association with a wheel 26 may be a single rod 28 having a lengthwise keyway 28', into which the periphery of said wheel extends as shown in FIG. 4, or as illustrated in another modified construction as in FIG. 5, where the track structure comprises two slightly spaced square rods 29, 29', set with their diagonal planes in coplanar relation. Here, 30 may be deemed a channel. As a further modification shown in FIG. 3, the track structure comprises the rods 17, 17' associated as in FIG. 2 and the wheel 32 is cylindrical. Still another modified arrangement in accordance with this invention is to use said cylindrical wheel 32 as in FIG. 6, where it extends into the longitudinal V-keyslot 33 in a track comprising a single rod 34. The track rods 28 and 34 may be of a cross-section other than round.

Of importance to note is that in each of the embodiments shown, when the slide moves along the track structure, the wheel contacts only a line on each of the opposite walls of a channel, respectively, and that said pair of lines are spaced from each other and that the wheel is between them, its periphery being surrounded by air.

This invention is capable of numerous forms and various applications without departing from the essential features herein disclosed. It is therefore intended and desired that the embodiment shown herein shall be deemed merely illustrative and not restrictive and that the patent shall cover all patentable novelty herein set forth; reference being had to the following claims rather than to the specific showing and description herein to indicate the scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. In combination, a straight track structure having a channel therealong; said channel having opposite walls, a slide mounted on said track structure for movement therealong, an axle positioned perpendicular to the direction of said track structure, in space within a hollow in said slide, a wheel fixed on said axle; said wheel extending into said channel and in contact with said opposite walls thereof, stressed spring means on said slide, forcibly pushing said axle laterally in a direction towards said channel whereby said wheel exerts an appreciable pressure against said walls; said wheel, when the slide is 1n movement along the track, contacting each of said walls only along a straight line along the track; said wheel acting in the manner of a wedge to force said channel walls apart and means whereby said axle can be rotated whereupon the slide will move along said track structure.

2. The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein the track structure comprises two rods, each having a curvilinear periphery; said rods being in close proximity and in parallel relation and wherein the perimetrical lanes of both faces of the wheel are beveled.

3. The combination as defined in claim 2, wherein said rods are cylindrical.

4. The combination as defined in claim 2, wherein said rods are in longitudinal contact.

5. The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein the perimetricallanes of both faces of the'wheel are beveled and the walls of the channel are substantially parallel.

6. The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein the track structure comprises two rods in spaced relation and parallel to each other, each presenting a longitudinal edge; said edges facing one another, and wherein the perimetrical lanes of both faces of said wheel are beveled; said beveled lanes contacting one of said edges respectively.

7. The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said channel is of V-shaped section and said Wheel is cylindrical; the perimetrical edges of the faces of said References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Georg 74--202 Bauer 33172 Young 33169 Shovic 74202 X Croshier 33172 German 33169 X Polidor.

Bunge 33169 X MARTIN P. SCHWADRON, Primary Examiner.

wheel being in contact with the walls of said channel 15 AS55510"! in respectively. 

1. IN COMBINATION, A STRAIGHT TRACK STRUCTURE HAVING A CHANNEL THEREALONG; SAID CHANNEL HAVING OPPOSITE WALLS, A SLIDE MOUNTED ON SAID TRACK STRUCTURE FOR MOVEMENT THEREALONG, AN AXLE POSITIONED PERPENDICULAR TO THE DIRECTION OF SAID TRACK STRUCTURE, IN SPACE WITHIN A HOLLOW IN SAID SLIDE, A WHEEL FIXED ON SAID AXLE; SAID WHEEL EXTENDING INTO SAID CHANNEL AND IN CONTACT WITH SAID OPPOSITE WALLS THEREOF, STRESSED SPRING MEANS ON SAID SLIDE, FORCIBLY PUSHING SAID AXLE LATERALLY IN A DIRECTION TOWARDS SAID CHANNEL WHEREBY SAID WHEEL EXERTS AN APPRECIABLE PRESSURE AGAINST SAID WALLS; SAID WHEEL, WHEN THE SLIDE IS IN MOVEMENT ALONG THE TRACK, CONTACTING EACH OF SAID WALLS ONLY ALONG A STRAIGHT LINE ALONG THE TRACK; SAID WHEEL ACTING IN THE MANNER OF A WEDGE TO FORCE SAID CHAN NEL WALLS APART AND MEANS WHEREBY SAID AXLE CAN BE ROTATED WHEREUPON THE SLIDE WILL MOVE ALONG SAID TRACK STRUCTURE. 